Cedar Frontispiece Gives LA Bungalow a Fresh Look

Martin Fenlon Architecture remodeled Fenlon House, a 1920’s three-bedroom bungalow in the quiet neighborhood of Hermon, just northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Fenlon added a clear cedar frontispiece, cradled by a dark frame, that works as an outdoor space for the home. Its terraced staircase wraps into a wooden bench for street-facing outdoor seating.

Windows running across most of the new front wall bring light into the living space and provide a uniform element wrapping around the property. The clear cedar, on the other hand, contrasts perfectly with torched cedar planks used for the original exterior.

The architect raised the height of interior rooms by removing the original ceiling and exposing the home’s wooden roof. A triangular skylight in the front of the home adds to its modern look, having replaced a gabled roof over the original entryway.

The kitchen is done almost entirely in wood, echoing the design of the wooden frontispiece. The bathroom has a similar modern flair, done in a light-blue tile that complements the dark wood of the slanting exposed roof above. [Photography and information courtesy of ArchDaily]